Part 25 (1/2)

”As with the rabbits, the birds and the flies. Joined. Just for each other and no one else.”

Taylor smiled as happiness bubbled inside him. ”Yes, Kayla and I are mates.” He liked that word.

A moment later, the squall of a crying babe ripped through the air and Taylor sighed in relief. Jarod nodded toward the hut where two of the three brothers stood staring at them.

”She has delivered,” he said. ”Come. Let us go and see if it is a boy or a girl. And then we will celebrate.”

Jarod stepped forward then stopped when Taylor didn't follow. He tracked Taylor's gaze to the Hero brothers.

”Do not let them frighten you. As Piper says, their bark is worse than their bite.”

”Another term I do not understand,” Taylor admitted.

”They are a protective breed, these men from Earth. They do not wish any harm to come to their sisters or their mated women.”

Taylor brightened. ”Then we have something in common. I do not wish any harm to come to Kayla.”

This time when Jarod began walking toward the brothers, Taylor did not hesitate. He understood now. He would protect Kayla as much as her brothers. And he would fight them fiercely, if need be, to show them she belonged to him.

Annie's childbirth had been a difficult one. The baby was a breech and a bit too big to come out. Thankfully Annie was a doctor and, through her gasps and grunts of pain, she instructed Piper and Kayla on what needed to be done. A couple of small incisions in the right area and the baby popped out quite nicely.

”Gosh, I'm so glad we found Kayla when we did,” Piper chuckled to Annie as Kayla wrapped up the cleaned baby and gave him to his mother.

Perspiration dotted Annie's forehead and her curly auburn hair dangled with moisture as she accepted her newborn. In the way her soft blue eyes twinkled with love, Kayla suddenly ached to have a child of her own. With Taylor.

Their brother Joe grinned happily as he tucked a finger beneath his newborn son's little chin. The baby's pouting pink lips turned upward in a smile and his tiny fingers curled into fists.

”He acts like his mamma, doesn't he? Defiant and cute at the same time.” Joe winked at Annie, who smiled warmly back at him.

Kayla's heart burst with a fluttering she found to be really neat. Her brother was in love and never looked happier. Heck, all her brothers had never looked happier.

Upon arriving at the village, she'd barely been able to hug them all before being pushed into this hut to tend to the anxious mother-to-be. She'd wanted to remind everyone she was a veterinary student and wasn't qualified to practice on humans, but she was the only chance that Annie had and so she'd set to work.

”Thanks so much, Kayla,” Joe said. He pried himself away from his baby and embraced Kayla in a bear hug that almost had her pa.s.sing out he squeezed so tightly.

”All in a day's work, big brother,” she replied as he finally let go. He was beaming so brightly she was surprised his ear-to-ear smile didn't hurt.

”Hey! When can we come in and see the baby? Is everything okay?” Ben's cry came from outside the hut. Other voices echoed his concern.

”Everything is fine,” Kayla called back as Joe hugged Piper.

”Give us a few more minutes and then only two come in at a time,” Joe said quietly as he let Piper go. ”I don't want the kid to be scared with so many faces coming at him all at once.”

”Will do,” Kayla replied. She waved to Piper to follow.

When they stepped into the bright suns.h.i.+ne, questions bombarded them. Piper and Kayla answered as best they could. Yes, Annie and the baby were fine. Yes, it was a difficult birth, but there didn't appear to be any lingering problems. Yes, Joe and Annie were very happy.

”And it's a boy. Another Hero to add to the family,” Kayla gushed.

”Speaking of another member of the family, is there someone new in the picture for you, Kayla?” Jacey, the woman Kayla's brother Ben had hooked up with, asked as she pointed into the crowd.

Suddenly, everyone grew silent and the crowd parted to where Taylor stood, studying Kayla intensely.

”Taylor,” she whispered as he threw her a sheepish smile. He didn't come any closer and Kayla suspected he was hanging back because he was intimidated by her overprotective brothers. They certainly had scared away a couple of guys who had been interested in dating her through high school. But they hadn't scared this one totally away it appeared.

She ignored everyone's surprised gasps and strolled toward Taylor, took him by the hand and pulled him away from the crowd toward the area where the boats had been pulled up along the riverbank.

”Kayla, where the h.e.l.l are you going?” Buck called out, a chuckle of amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice.

”I'm going on my honeymoon!” Kayla shouted back.

”It's dangerous out there!” Ben snarled.

”There's another storm coming. Don't stray too far!” Jarod hollered.

More concerns were voiced, but she ignored all their warnings as she continued to lead Taylor into the woods toward the river.

”Honeymoon?” Taylor questioned as, moments later, they found a quiet, sandy spot to sit near the river, out of sight from the occupants of the village.

”It's when we spend time getting to know one another. Intimately.”

He moaned softly as she palmed his clothed, thick member. Holding his heavy erection in her hands, she leaned against him and took his mouth hard and fast, her lips melting over his in a desperate need to show him how much she'd missed him.

When she'd woken up after that wild night of s.e.x to discover he'd left, she'd been furiously angry. She'd also been angry at him for leaving without saying goodbye. Despite Jarod's rea.s.surances that Taylor knew what he was doing and wouldn't get caught, fear had crawled inside her, pus.h.i.+ng away her anger. She'd kept voicing her concerns as Jarod and Piper had paddled her through the creepy swamp and up along the river toward the village where they said her brothers lived. She swore if Taylor hadn't taken their boat, she would have paddled right after him.

But now that his arms were sliding around her waist, all her fears, anxieties and anger slipped away. He kissed her, nice and hungry, giving just as hard as she gave. When they both became breathless, he pulled away.

”I like this honeymoon. I wish more.” Taylor chuckled, but then he tensed. His eyes narrowed as he looked down the river. Kayla followed his gaze, but nothing was there. The intent way he stared unnerved her.

”What is it?”

”Someone comes,” he whispered.

”What? I don't see anyone.”

”It looks as if our honeymoon is over before it began.”

He was deadly serious. He pointed to where the river disappeared around a bend about a half mile away. ”There, coming around the bend. Two figures.”

From that distance, a man and a woman's silhouettes caught her eye. The man appeared to be naked from the waist up and as heavily muscled as Taylor. Although she couldn't make out the woman's face, there was familiarity in her pet.i.te profile.

”Go, warn Jarod and your brothers there may be trouble. Tell him Blackie is coming.”

”Blackie?”

”Go. Now!” Taylor snapped as he hauled her to her feet.